"Just Friends" by: Haley Pham




Recommended Age: 16+

352 pages

Description: This heartwarming and swoon-worthy second chance romance about childhood friends reconnecting as adults is the highly anticipated debut novel from YouTube creator Haley Pham.

Blair and Declan were inseparable growing up—best friends who knew each other better than anyone else. But when an impulsive kiss took them from friends to something more, everything changed. Just as quickly as their romance started, one moment shattered it all, leaving them with nothing but heartbreak and silence.

Now, four years later, Blair is back in their coastal hometown of Seabrook to support her mom and care for her great-aunt Lottie as her health declines. To make ends meet, Blair applies to work at a coffee shop—only to discover it’s managed by none other than Declan. The boy she loved. The boy she lost. The boy who still makes her heart race.

As Blair’s path keeps crossing with Declan’s, old wounds resurface, secrets are revealed, and sparks reignite. But could their future ever be free of their past?

Told in dual timelines that unravel the magic and pain of first love, Just Friends is a moving, romantic story about second chances, the weight of dreams, and finding your way back to the people who feel like home. 

 

My Rating: 5/5 

Haley Pham's debut, novel, Just Friends, did not disappoint! Though not specifically categorized as a Christian romance, this clean, closed-door romance novel has the right amount of sweet, tender moments, while still maintaining its morality. I was very pleased and impressed with this.

The overall writing was done very well. Pham excellently weaved each part of the story together beautifully. Her writing style is uniquely cute, representing her wonderful personality. I look forward to seeing her career continue as she gains more experience in crafting beautiful stories.

Things to be aware of in “Just Friends”
 

Language:
Thankfully, the language is fairly minimal due to the main character’s mother teaching her as a child that it’s “unladylike” to swear.
- 37 forms of “gosh”, “oh gosh” or “oh my gosh”
- 14 forms of “dumb”, “dumbly” or “dumber”
- 10 forms of “stupid”, “stupidest” or “stupidly”
- 6 forms of “idiot” or “idiotic”
- 3 “sucks”
- 2 “crap”
- 1 “bull crap”
- 1 “what the heck”
- 1 “oh shiiiii-“ (no elaboration)
- 2 “shut up” (one person says it about themself and another uses it as a “wow” substitute)
- 1 use of “bloody” as an adjective.
- 1 “pissed”
 

Violence:
- Abusive fathers are discussed.
- SPOILER! A character is hit by a car and endures multiple injuries as a result. END OF SPOILER!

Romantic Content:
    - 2 uses of “sexy”
    - A character says and others repeat/remember, “All men leave at some point.”
    - “Hooking up” is mentioned.
    - Characters kiss numerous times (some are in high school) with many details given. “Snogging” is also mentioned.
    - Numerous mentions of characters looking at one another’s lips
    - “Longing” is mentioned many times (never any elaboration)
    - Two unmarried adults go in one another’s houses alone (no content to note - very clean)

Spiritual Content:
- A crystal ball is briefly brought-up.

Additional Notes:
- Getting “drinks”, alcohol and champagne are mentioned. A group goes to a place that has a bar. Alcohol can be smelled on some characters. Drinking and driving occurs once (with consequences).
- Off-campus frat parties are referenced.
- For sensitive readers: a character dry heaves in a scene.
- There is a sentence about a Spandex “digging into my thighs.”

 

Links to the book: Amazon and Goodreads. 

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